The Met Office has extended a yellow heat-health alert as temperatures could reach 30°C or higher in parts of the UK, with the current heatwave 'looks set to continue'. UK homes, built to retain heat, are struggling to stay cool, especially at night, leading to sleeplessness for many Britons.
Wickes Air Cooler Offers Budget-Friendly Relief
While installing air conditioning can be prohibitively expensive, budget-friendly alternatives are available. DIY retailer Wickes is selling the Tristar White Air Cooler for £68 (excluding delivery), which customers have praised as 'better than a conventional fan'. The device uses cold water to cool airflow, delivering a refreshing breeze a few degrees lower than ambient temperature without a warm-air exhaust or need for hose installation.
According to Wickes: 'The Tristar Mobile Air Cooler 4L uses cold water to cool the airflow so you can enjoy a refreshing breeze a few degrees lower than the ambient temperature. With an air-cooler, there is no warm-air exhaust, so you will not have to struggle with a hose or drill a hole in the wall.' The unit is portable with sturdy castors, and users can further cool the water by freezing two supplied ice packs and adding them to the water tank.
Customer Reviews: Mixed but Mostly Positive
The majority of customers gave the device high marks. One reviewer said: 'While not an air conditioner, it does cool the air in the direction the air is directed to a significant degree. Makes my bedroom tolerable for sleeping.' Another wrote: 'Compact and ideal for our caravan. It has made life much more pleasant in the hot spell we had recently.'
A third customer described it as a 'lifesaver during the heatwave', adding: 'Does what it says it blows cooled air. Not exactly like proper air con, but excellent value for the money. Very quiet and can be used as a fan without the cooling feature too.' One five-star reviewer noted: 'Good value for money air cooler. Pretty basic to use and gave us enough comfort to sleep in the 40°C heat. Would definitely recommend.'
Some Negative Feedback Exists
However, not all experiences were positive. One dissatisfied customer claimed: 'Didn't do anything like it was described to do! Even with ice blocks in the water tank and we barely felt anything.' Another said: 'The product does no more than a fan would, I wouldn't recommend.' A third added: 'Tried with cold water, no noticeable difference! Threw some ice cubes in the well with the water but still didn't make a difference. Returning for money back.'
Despite these complaints, the majority of shoppers expressed satisfaction and chose to keep the device. Other budget-friendly alternatives include the Bush 6.5L Vortex Blade Air Cooler (£85 at Argos) and the Morphy Richards FlexiFreeze Mini Air Cooler (£69 at Very).
